


The Lone Wolf

by beefybuffybucky



Category: Avengers (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 10:01:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14041809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beefybuffybucky/pseuds/beefybuffybucky
Summary: Bucky is dating a really shy girl who has a hard time talking to people she doesn’t know very well, and the Avengers tease her for it without thinking about how much it would upset her, and Bucky tries to comfort her. (Warnings: Language, Angst, Fluff)





	The Lone Wolf

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work based on a request from my Tumblr blog (@beefybuffybucky). Feel free to check it out!

The typical chatter and clatter of dinner filled the air. You were at the far end of the table, Bucky on your left and Tony on your right. Vision and Wanda had made a fantastic chicken dumpling soup and salad for dinner, and as the rest of the team ate, they talked amongst each other about their days, recent missions, and other things while you tried to keep to yourself like usual. It’s not that you didn’t like being a part of the team, but you were incredibly shy, and being put on the spot or trying to make small talk gave you pretty bad anxiety. You frequently stumble over your words and can’t really register what someone had said because of it, and honestly, it was embarrassing. You haven’t really been on the team too long. It’s only been about three months, and most of the time you’ve been at the compound has been spent reading, training, or hanging out with Bucky.

The “Lone Wolf” - that’s what they call you. The team gave you the nickname a few weeks after you joined. The name makes sense for you because, like a wolf, you live in a pack. Throughout your life, you’ve only been close to a few people at a time until they would leave you. Eventually, you’d drift back into another pack, but the endless cycle of drifting and being lost has left you with not only trust issues but a shy, nervous demeanor, as well. When you joined the team, you were scared shitless. The combination of all the new faces and people with having to adjust to a new surrounding sent you into a weird state. At first, you spent a lot of time by yourself. You would spend most of the day in your room, reading, drawing, doing whatever you wanted to, until the late hours of the night when you would head down to the training gym where you would spend a few hours releasing your built-up anxiety. Every so often, you’d find Bucky down there. He’d have earbuds in, either lifting an insane amount of weight or sometimes sending a punching bag flying across the room. When you first started going to the gym, the only contact you and Bucky would have was a nod of the head or the flash of a quick, often forced smile, but after a while, you started talking.

Bucky would tell you about his nightmares, and you would tell him stories of your past. Opening up to him felt more natural than breathing for you. You have never trusted anyone so much before. It was like you two had known each other for years, not just a few weeks.

Around him, you feel calm, like even just being in his presence drains you of anxiety. It’s almost like without him around, you’re stuck, locked in a cage of your own shyness, but with him, the lock falls away, and you’re free. He makes it easy to talk to him, and even when you can’t seem to find the right words or a topic to talk about, he still sits with you. The silence between you two isn’t uncomfortable like it would be if it was any other member of the team, but instead, it’s comforting, like you’re both just happy to be near each other. But, around the rest of the team, it was a whole new story.

You frequently stumble over your words, and whenever someone says anything to you, you can’t really register what they had said quickly, and honestly, it was embarrassing. So most of the time you were around the rest of the team, you let them do the talking while you would spectate and occasionally nod or shake your head. Even at dinner, you did your best to keep out of conversation, being too shy to really make any small talk with another member of the team besides Bucky, and tonight was no exception.  

“What do you think, Y/N?” Tony’s voice brings you back to the dinner around you. You look up from your bowl of soup to find everyone’s eyes on you.

“Wh-What?” You blink, sinking down into your seat. Heat quickly pools beneath your skin, and your face is burning.

“What movie should we watch tonight?  _Pulp Fiction_  or  _The Princess Bride_?” They were still staring at you. You could feel the anxiety starting to bubble in your veins.

“O-Oh, I, uh…I-I don’t really c-care,” you mumble. The weight of their collective gazes hangs heavy on your shoulders.

“What was that?” Tony arches an eyebrow. “I didn’t quite catch that.”

“Speak up, pipsqueak,” Clint says before taking a sip of water. A few of the other members chuckle. Your gaze drops back down to your bowl and a muscle in your jaw twitches.

“I-I said,” you try to force some more volume into your voice. “I d-don’t really care.”

“Did you guys…hear something?” Clint cups a hand around the outside of his ear. “Some wind, maybe?”

His remark earns even more, stronger chuckles from the group. Now, it felt like flames were licking at your skin.

“I-I, um…I’m tired,” you mutter as you push away from the table, still looking down at the table.

“It’s only six,” Steve calls from down the table. “How are you tired?”

“I j-just…,” you choke as you clutch at the bottom of your shirt.

“C’mon, L.W.,” Tony says through a mouth full of salad. ‘L.W.’ was short for your nickname. You’re not sure who had started to shorten it or when, but the team seems to use it more than your actual name. “Calm down.”

“Yeah,” Clint laughs. “It’s about time you break out of your ‘shy’ shell.”

“I j-just….,” before you can finish, you hastily walk away from the table and head for the elevator to go back to your floor. You push the button, tightly hugging your chest as you wait for the door to slide open. Keeping your eyes glued to your feet, you step into the elevator as soon as it dings. You slowly turn around, the front of your body facing the open doors. As you watch the bottom of the doors close, something catches between them. Your head snaps up at the sound.

Bucky’s metal arm was in between the doors, and they slide back open. He takes a few steps and stands next to you, then hits the button for your shared floor that Steve also lives on. The doors finally closed.

“Hey,” he says gently, placing a hand on the side of your arm. “You okay?”

You could feel a few tears start to prick at your eyes. Your eyes fall again as you avoid his concerned gaze.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” you mumble, then clear throat. A few seconds later, the elevator doors open to your floor, and you quickly duck out, leaving Bucky behind. You rush past the open living area and kitchen and into your room - which is across from Bucky’s - and kick the door shut behind you. It didn’t click shut. You turn around and find Bucky standing in the doorway, his metal hand on the doorknob.

“Buck, I said I’m  _fine_ ,” your tone sounds like you’re warning him under your breath. You sink down onto the end of your bed.

“It’s pretty obvious that you’re not,” Bucky sighs, crossing the room to sit next to you. The mattress dips under his weight. “I don’t blame you for leaving dinner. I would’ve done the same thing if I were you, doll.”

“I…,” you sniffle. “I just don’t get why I’m treated like this. I c-can’t help it that I’m shy and people make me nervous. It’s like I’m just some kind of  _joke_  to them.”

“C’mere, doll,” Bucky slides a strong arm behind your back, then gently grabs your arm and pulls you into his side. You rest your head on his shoulder, leaning into his embrace. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. I should’ve told ‘em to stop.”

“It’s not your fault,” you whisper. “It’s not your job to protect me. Besides, I probably overreacted.”

“I know it’s not, but I care about you, a lot, and I could’ve at least helped you back there.”

“It’s okay,” you sigh. A few moments pass without either of you speaking. You can feel your mind start to settle as the warmth of Bucky’s hold and his calming presences flushes over you.

“Do you wanna watch somethin’?” Bucky nods towards the T.V. in your room. “I can grab some snacks from the kitchen.”

“Th-That sounds great,” you smile through a sniffle.

“I’ll be right back, doll,” he smiles back and presses a light kiss to the side of your head. He stands up and walks over to your dresser. He opens one of the drawers and pulls out some pajama shorts and a t-shirt, then tosses them over to you.

“Thanks, Buck,” you chuckle. He hums in response and turns out of the room.

By the time you’re done changing, Bucky had returned with his arms full of snacks and a few different movies. He had also changed into more comfortable clothing, opting for sweatpants and a loose-fitting t-shirt. After putting  _La La Land_  into the DVD player, Bucky climbs under the blanket of your bed next to you, handing you a bag of your favorite chips. Throughout the movie, Bucky would sing along with you to the songs and make jokes about the apparently cheesy storyline. Near the end of the second movie, you could feel the tug of sleep pulling you away from reality.

“I’m so glad you’re in my life,” you groggily mumbled into his chest.

“I’m not goin’ anywhere, doll,” a light chuckle rumbles in his chest. His arm around your shoulder gently squeezes you. “I’ll always be here. I promise.”

You hum, smiling, as you drift further into sleep. Then, all that remains is the warmth of Bucky’s existence and the thought of him lingering in your mind.


End file.
